Keto Military Diet

So much has gone on over the past year. I completed my Bachelors degree last December and I left my old job for a better position with higher pay and less stress. The stress from that job caused me to gain weight, develop anxiety and insomnia, and my hair started shedding. However, like everyone else I've also been navigating through life with a global pandemic. 

Back in January, I went on an MLK Weekend ski trip and there were thousands of people in attendance. On the last night of the 4 day/3 night event, I started to get sick. While at the airport I bought everything I could to feel better while flying and nothing alleviated my symptoms. I came home and got right in my bed; where I stayed for the rest of the week, only getting up to use the restroom. I have never been so sick in my life. I was in and out of consciousness and I had these dillusions or weird dreams. I had a horrible cough and my bed sheets were soaked. I finally went to see my doctor and I was told to never wait that long to call her. My oxygen levels were low and they adminstered an oxygen treatment in the office then sent me for chest x-rays. She told me I had a respiratory virus but it wasn't COVID19; at that time not much was known about the virus and no test was given. I was sent home with a few meds including liquid codeine, antibiotics, and steroids and told to work from home for a week after that, which I did. I found out that many of the attendees were sick, even those who had gotten a flu shot.

The next month or so I gained weight from the steroids, but I was still working out. Then COVID shut everything down and I was working two jobs from home (current and previous). I began to eat all day long and did not work out at all; I was also eating foods I dont usually eat. Next thing I knew, I was the heaviest I'd ever been. In June, everything started opening back up again and I became active again. I started hiking and began to semi-watch what I was eating. After a few months I decided it was time to get serious about my health again and even though I had a few tools to help me work out from home I realized that I needed more. So I ordered a few items on Amazon and began a workout regimen at the house. It was extremely hard to begin because working out at home has always been harder for me. When I am in the gym I am in a completely different zone and it completely has all of my focus. However, when I am at home my mind is all over the place and it's easy to go plop on the couch really quickly or go do something that pops up in my head that I need to do. However, I'm now at a point where I can focus and get through my home workouts.

I also went back to being 100% Keto, and I can feel myself getting back to normal. It will take some time to get back to the weight I was before I started that job a couple of years ago and even longer to reach my goal; but, I am focused on getting there. Especially since I plan on taking a few of trips in 2021, if everything is safe.

A few years ago, I went on the Military Diet for a short period of time and it really worked. I decided to adopt the plan again for six weeks beginning November 30th, to help get me through the holiday hump my last week will be the week following New Years. This is not something that a person has to maintain for a long period of time; but it's something that you can use as a short-term tool to reach a goal, get through a plateau or slump, or jumpstart a diet. The original Military Diet isn’t necessarily the healthiest or tastiest diet and should definitely not be done long term. However, my healthier version can be implemented into your daily lifestyle. If you follow my blog you know I am the queen of tweaking a meal plan to fit my dietary habits/tastes and this plan is no different.

A strong misconception of the diet is that in three days you will lose ten pounds. Actually, the estimated weight loss is over a period of seven days. Even though you are on the plan for three days, your body’s metabolism will speed up after those three days causing you to burn more calories over the following four days which is how you can end up with a ten pound weight loss by the end of seven days. However, results can very and if you are on the plan for a longer period of time you may experience less weight loss than your first week. 

Previously, I tweaked the plan to a healthier and tastier version. Now that I am keto, I had to tweak it again to fit with my keto diet but it is still a healthier version of keto and the original military diet. I read that the military has now suggested that their soldiers adopt the keto way of eating. Check out an article here.

I started this Keto Military Diet one week from today. I changed a few things here and there and had fun with the diet. For example, instead of two cans of tuna for dinner on day three, I had two herbed crusted tuna steaks.

As for my results, I lost a total of 11 lbs in one week and I stayed in ketosis the entire time.

Below is my own sample plan and how I tweaked it to make it more suitable for me. Also know, I start each morning with my tonic and also added collagen and MCT oil. On my four days off (Thurs-Sun), I eat a typical healthy keto diet. To see how I ate each day, and how to make some of what I ate, check out my health IG ShaniNicole_NaturalHealth, you can also search hashtag #ShaniNicoleMilitaryDiet

If you would like to see my original non-Keto Military Diet plan click here.

DAY 1

Breakfast

6 Strawberries

1 Breakfast Chaffle

2 tbsp of unsweetened almond or coconut Butter

1 cup Green Tea (with caffeine), black tea, black or bulletproof coffee 

Lunch

5oz can of Tuna (or 1 small tuna steak)

2 cups of sautéed Greens (Kale, Spinach, Collards, or Mustards)

1 cup Green Tea (with caffeine)

Snack

1 cup of Mixed Berries (strawberries, rasberries, blackberries)

Dinner

3 ounces of Chicken/Turkey/Fish (grilled/baked)

1 cup of Cabbage or Greens w/hot sauce

1/2 Avocado

1 cup of Keto Greek Frozen Yogurt or Keto Ice Cream

DAY 2

Breakfast

1 Egg

2 cups of sautéed Kale/Spinach

1 cup Green Tea (with caffeine), black tea, black or bulletproof coffee

Snack

1/2 Avocado

Lunch

2 slices of Mozzarella Cheese

1 hard Boiled Egg

1 Chaffle

Dinner

2 Chicken/Turkey Sausage links

1 cup of steamed Broccoli w/fresh squeezed Lemon juice

1/2 cup of sautéed Squash/Zucchini

1/2 Avocado 

1/2 cup of Keto Greek Frozen Yogurt or Keto Ice Cream

DAY 3

Breakfast

1 Breakfast Chaffle

1/2 cup Berries (strawberries, rasberries, blackberries)

1 cup Green Tea (with caffeine), black tea, black or bulletproof coffee

Lunch

1 hard Boiled Egg

2 cups of sautéed Kale

Dinner

2 5oz cans of Tuna w/fresh squeezed Lemon juice and Garlic seasoning (or 2 small Herb Crusted Tuna Steaks)

1/2 Avocado or 2 tbsp Guacamole

1 cup of Keto Greek Frozen Yogurt or Keto Ice Cream

And...It Is What It Is!